Bacteriocins and novel bacterial strains

ABSTRACT

Novel bacteriocins produced by novel bacterial strains are used for at least reducing the levels of colonization by at least one target bacteria in animals, especially poultry.

This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 11/129,337, filed May 13,2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,321,024 issued Jan. 22, 2008, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the control of disease in animals, especiallypoultry, through the use of novel bacteriocin-producing Paenibacillusand Bacillus species and/or novel bacteriocins produced by thesespecies. It also relates to novel bacteriocins, amino acid sequences ofthe novel bacteriocins, and to the strains of Paenibacillus or Bacillusproducing the novel bacteriocins. Furthermore, the invention relates totherapeutic compositions containing the novel bacteriocins and/or thestrains of Paenibacillus or Bacillus producing them and to uses of thetherapeutic compositions.

2. Description of the Related Art

The consumption of improperly prepared poultry products has resulted inhuman intestinal diseases. It has long been recognized that Salmonellaspp. are causative agents of such diseases and more recently,Campylobacter spp., especially Campylobacter jejuni, has also beenimplicated. Both microorganisms may colonize poultry gastrointestinaltracts without any deleterious effects on the birds, and although somecolonized birds can be detected, asymptomatic carriers can freely spreadthe microorganisms during production and processing, resulting infurther contamination of both live birds and carcasses. Poultry servesas the primary reservoir for Salmonella and Campylobacter in the foodsupply (Jones et al., Journal of Food Protection, Volume 54, No. 7,502-507, July, 1991). Prevention of colonization in live poultry duringgrowout production may diminish the problem of poultry contamination.

A number of factors contribute to the colonization and continuedpresence of bacteria within the digestive tract of animals. Thesefactors have been extensively reviewed by Savage (Progress in Food andNutrition Science, Volume 7, 65-74, 1983). Included among these factorsare: (1) Gastric acidity (Gilliland, Journal of Food Production, Volume42, 164-167, 1979); (2) bile salts (Sharpe & Mattick, Milchwissenschaft,Volume 12, 348-349, 1967; Floch et al., American Journal of ClinicalNutrition, Volume 25, 1418-1426, 1972; Lewis & Gorbach, Archives ofInternal Medicine, Volume 130, 545-549, 1972; Gilliland and Speck,Journal of Food Protection, Volume 40, 820-823, 1977); Hugdahl et al.,Infection and Immunity, Volume 56, 1560-1566, 1988); (3) peristalsis;(4) digestive enzymes (Marmur, Journal of Molecular Biology, Volume 3,208-218, 1961); (5) immune response; and (6) indigenous microorganismsand the antibacterial compounds which they produce. The first fourfactors are dependent on the phenotype of the host and may not bepractically controllable variables. The immune response in thegastrointestinal (GI) tract is not easily modulated. The factorsinvolving indigenous microorganisms and their metabolites are dependenton the normal flora of the GI tract.

One potential approach to control Campylobacter and/or Salmonellacolonization is through the use of competitive exclusion (CE) Nurmi andRantala (Nature, Volume 241, 210-211, 1973) demonstrated effectivecontrol of Salmonella infection by gavaging bacteria from healthypoultry intestinal materials into young chicks whose microflora had notyet been established, against Salmonella colonization. Administration ofundefined CE preparations to chicks speeds the maturation of gut florain newly-hatched birds and provides a substitute for the natural processof transmission of microflora from the adult hen to its offspring.Results from laboratory and field investigations provide evidence ofbenefits in Campylobacter control through administering normalmicroflora to chickens; decreased frequency of Campylobacter-infectedflocks (Mulder and Bolder, IN: Colonization Control of human bacterialenteropathogens in poultry; L. C. Blankenship (ed.), Academic Press, SanDiego, Calif., 359-363, 1991) and reduced levels of Campylobacter jejuni(C. jejuni) in the feces of colonized birds has been reported (Stern,Poultry Science, Volume 73, 402-407, 1994).

Schoeni and Wong (Appl. Environ. Microbiol., Volume 60, 1191-1197, 1994)reported a significant reduction in broiler colonization by C. jejunithrough the application of carbohydrate supplements together with threeidentified antagonists: Citrobacter diversus 22, Klebsiella pneumoniae23, and Escherichia coli 25. There is also evidence of a significantdecrease of C. jejuni in intestinal samples from infected broilers aftertreatment with poultry-isolated cultures of Lactobacillus acidophilusand Streptococcus faecium (Morishita et al. Avian Diseases, Volume 41,850-855, 1997).

Snoeyenbos et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,107, June, 1982) developed acompetitive exclusion (CE) microflora technique for preventingSalmonella colonization by lyophilizing fecal droppings and culturingthis preparation anaerobically. Mikola et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,762,April, 1987) used intestinal fecal and cecal contents as a source of CEmicroflora for preventing Salmonella colonization. Stern et al. (U.S.Pat. No. 5,451,400, September, 1995 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,335, April2001) disclose a mucosal CE composition for protection of poultry andlivestock against colonizations by Salmonella and Campylobacter wherethe mucin layer of prewashed caeca is scraped and the scrapings, kept inan oxygen-free environment, are cultured anaerobically. Nisbet et al.(U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,557, December, 1996) disclose a defined probioticthat can be obtained from a variety of domestic animals which isobtained by continuous culture of a batch culture produced directly fromfecal droppings, cecal and/or large intestine contents of the adulttarget animal.

Microorganisms produce a variety of compounds which demonstrateanti-bacterial properties. One group of these compounds, thebacteriocins, consists of bactericidal proteins with a mechanism ofaction similar to ionophore antibiotics. Bacteriocins are often activeagainst species which are closely related to the producer. Theirwidespread occurrence in bacterial species isolated from complexmicrobial communities such as the intestinal tract, the oral or otherepithelial surfaces, suggests that bacteriocins may have a regulatoryrole in terms of population dynamics within bacterial ecosystems.Bacteriocins are defined as compounds produced by bacteria that have abiologically active protein moiety and bactericidal action (Tagg et al.,Bacteriological Reviews, Volume 40, 722-256, 1976). Othercharacteristics may include: (1) a narrow inhibitory spectrum ofactivity centered about closely related species; (2) attachment tospecific cell receptors; and (3) plasmid-borne genetic determinants ofbacteriocin production and of host cell bacteriocin immunity.Incompletely defined antagonistic substances have been termed“bacteriocin-like substances”. Some bacteriocins effective againstGram-positive bacteria, in contrast to Gram-negative bacteria, havewider spectrum of activity. It has been suggested that the termbacteriocin, when used to describe inhibitory agents produced byGram-positive bacteria, should meet the minimum criteria of (1) being apeptide and (2) possessing bactericidal activity (Tagg et al., supra).

Diverse biological activities are common among Bacillus spp. This genuscan produce pronounced antagonism to pathogenic microorganisms. Tocreate this antagonism, bacilli may manifest amylolytic, cellulolytic,lipolytic, proteolytic, and pectinolytic activities. They can generatelysozyme and are effectively involved in synthesis of numerous aminoacids and other biologically active substances (Zani et al., Journal ofApplied Microbiology, Volume 84, 68-71, 1988; Sorokulova et al.,Anitbiotiki i Khemioterpaiya, Volume 41 (10), 13-15, 1992). Except forBacillus anthracis and B. cereus, members of the genus Bacillus areharmless for warm-blooded host animals and have phylogenetic relatednessto lactobacilli (Fox, Science, Volume 209, No. 4455, page 457, 1980).Owing to these desirable characteristics, bacteria within the genusBacillus spp. have found wide application as probiotics and are widelyused in medicine and veterinary practice (Smirnov et al, Microbiol. J.,Volume 54(6), 82-93, 1992).

Raczek (United States Patent Application US2002/0176910, published Nov.28, 2002) discloses the use of a composition that contains live or deadmicroorganisms which secrete bacteriocins, or the bacteriocinsthemselves or in combinations thereof, for use with feedstuffs foragricultural livestock.

Puiri et al. (Letters in Applied Microbiology, Volume 27, 9-13, 1998)disclose a novel antimicrobial compound secreted by a Paenibacilluspolymyxa strain isolated from fermented sausages. The bacteriocin-likeproperties included a proteinaceous nature (sensitive to proteases),insensitivity to organic solvents and chelators, stability to heat (upto 10 minutes at 90° C.), and acidic pH but instability in alkalineconditions. The bacteriocin-like compound has a molecular mass of 10kDa. It showed inhibitory activity to several species of Bacillus,Paenibacillus, Lactobacillus, Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli,Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, and Serratia marcescens. Itshowed no inhibitory activity to Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonasaeruginosa, or Salmonella newport.

The present invention provides novel compositions containing a novelstrain of a Paenibacillus or Bacillus species and/or novel bacteriocinsproduced by the novel strains; a method of using the strain orbacteriocin, the novel strains, amino acid sequences for the novelbacteriocins, and methods of use, all of which are different fromrelated art strains, bacteriocins, and methods of using.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide novelstrains of Bacillus and Paenibacillus that produce novel bacteriocins.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novelPaenibacillus polymyxa having the identifying characteristics of NRRLB-30507.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novelPaenibacillus polymyxa having the identifying characteristics of NRRLB-30508.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novelPaenibacillus polymyxa having the identifying characteristics of NRRLB-30509.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novelBacillus circulans having the identifying characteristics of NRRLB-30644.

A further object of the present invention is to provide novelbacteriocins produced by a novel strains of Bacillus and Paenibacillus.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novelbacteriocin having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO 1.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novelbacteriocin having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO 2.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel,bacteriocin having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO 3.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for atleast reducing the levels of colonization by at least one targetbacteria in animals by administering to the animal a therapeuticcomposition including at least one novel strain of Bacillus orPaenibacillus that produces a novel bacteriocin, at least one novelbacteriocin produced by a novel strain of Bacillus or Paenibacillus, ora combination of the novel strains and novel bacteriocins.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for atleast reducing levels of colonization by at least one target bacteria inanimals by administering to the animal a therapeutic compositionincluding a novel strain of Paenibacillus polymyxa having thecharacteristics of NRRL Deposit No. B-30507, B30508, B-30509, B-30644,and mixtures thereof.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a methodfor at least reducing the levels of colonization by at least one targetbacteria in animals by administering to the animal a therapeuticcomposition including a novel bacteriocin having an amino acid sequenceas set forth in SEQ ID NO 1.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a methodfor at least reducing the levels of colonization by at least on targetbacteria in animals by administering to the animal a therapeuticcomposition including a novel bacteriocin having an amino acid sequenceas set forth in SEQ ID NO 2.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a methodfor at least reducing the levels of colonization by at least on targetbacteria in animals by administering to the animal a therapeuticcomposition including a novel bacteriocin having an amino acid sequenceas set forth in SEQ ID NO 3.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for atleast reducing the levels of colonization by at least one targetbacteria in an animal by administering to the animal a therapeuticcomposition comprising a bacteriocin produced by a novel strain ofPaenibacillus polymyxa having the identifying characteristics of NRRLB-30507, NRRL B-30508, or NRRL B-30509; a novel strain of Bacilluscirculans having the identifying characteristics of NRRL B-30644, andmixtures thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description.

Deposit of the Microorganisms

Paenibacillus polymyxa, designated NRRL B-30507 (Strain 37), NRRLB-30508 (Strain 119), and NRRL B-30509 (Strain 602); and Bacilluscirculans designated NRRL B-30644 have been deposited under theprovisions of the Budapest Treaty on Aug. 3, 2001 for P. polymyxa NRRLB-30507, NRRL B-30508, and NRRL B-30509; and B. circulans, NRRL B-30644,was deposited on Apr. 1, 2003 with the U.S.D.A. Agricultural ResearchService Patent Culture Collection (National Center for AgriculturalUtilization Research, 1815 N. University Street, Peoria, Ill. 61604).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photograph of gel overlaid with Campylobacter jejuni todetermine which band or bands corresponds to the antimicrobial activityand molecular weight. Lane 1 shows molecular weight markers ranging fromabout 1,500 to about 27,000 (AMERSHAM PHARMACIA BIOTECH); 27,000,20,000, 18,500, 6,000, 3,500, and 1,500 Da. The band in Lane 2 isinsulin, the band in Lane 3 is pure bacteriocin 602 and the band in Lane4 is pure bacteriocin 37. Lanes 3 and 4 corresponds to the antimicrobialactivity, zone of growth inhibition (see arrow), and each had a mass ofabout 3,500 kDa. Other bands did not show antimicrobial activity.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of a gel overlaid with Campylobacter jejuni todetermine which band or bands of bacteriocin 37 corresponds to theantimicrobial activity and isoelectric point. Lane 3 contains pIstandards (Protein test mixture 7, pI Marker Proteins, Serva): (a) 8.45,(b) 7.9, (c) 7.5, (d) 7.1, (e) 6.3, (f) 5.1, (g) 4.7. The band in Lane 1(CAP 37) and the band in lane 2 (pure bacteriocin 37) corresponds to theantimicrobial activity, the zone of growth inhibition (see arrow), and apI of about 4.8. Other bands did not show antimicrobial activity.

FIG. 3 is a photograph of a gel overlaid with Campylobacter jejuni todetermine which band or bands corresponds to the antimicrobial activityand isoelectric point. This shows direct detection of bacteriocin 602after isoelectrofocusing. Lane 1 shows pI standards (Protein TestMixture 7, pI Marker Proteins, Serva): (a) 8.45, (b) 7.9, (c) 7.5, (d)7.1, (e) 6.3, (f) 5.1, (g) 4.7. The band in Lane 2 (CAP 602) and theband in lane 3 (pure bacteriocin 602) correspond to the antimicrobialactivity and the zone of growth inhibition.

FIG. 4 shows sequence alignment of mature class IIa bacteriocinsincluding bacteriocin 37 (SEQ ID NO 1), bacteriocin 602 (SEQ ID NO 2),bacteriocin 1580 (SEQ ID NO 3), Lactococcin MMFII (SEQ ID NO 4),Mesentericin Y105 (SEQ ID NO 5), Leucocin A (SEQ ID NO 6), Bifidocin B(SEQ ID NO 7), Sakacin P (SEQ ID NO 8), Mundticin (SEQ ID NO 9), SakacinA (SEQ ID NO 10), Pisciolin-126 (SEQ ID NO II), Carnobacteriocin BM1(SEQ ID NO 12), Carnobacteriocin B2 (SEQ ID NO 13), Bavaricin MN (SEQ IDNO 14), Bacteriocin 31 (SEQ ID NO 15), Enterocin P (SEQ ID NO 16),Enterocin A (SEQ ID NO 17), Pediocin PA-1 (SEQ ID NO 18), Divercin V41(SEQ ID NO 19), CoaA (SEQ ID NO 20), and Consenua (SEQ ID NO 21). Theconsensus sequence (Consenua) shows the residues conserved by at least70% and when underlined, by more than 90%.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The importance of enteric infections in humans has been increasinglywell recognized. The relationship of poultry contamination and humaninfection has become well documented. The ability to diminish thishealth hazard by interventions at poultry processing plants is also wellknown. During broiler production and processing, fecal materialscontaining pathogens are transferred onto meat and persist in the foodprocessing kitchens.

Metabolites of competing organisms may contribute to the control ofpathogens such as Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella. The novelantagonistic strains were isolated from cecal and crop mucosal surfacesof broilers. The native components of characterized antagonist are lowmolecular weight peptides, bacteriocins, which have a wide spectrum ofantagonistic activity.

The present invention provides novel Bacillus and Paenibacillus strains,novel bacteriocins, amino acid sequences of said bacteriocins,therapeutic compositions containing the novel bacteriocins and/orstrains producing them, and methods for using the novel therapeuticcompositions.

The Paenibacillus polymyxa isolates are facultative anaerobes,gram-positive motile rods capable of growth at about 30, 37, and 42° C.The strains grow on nutrient agar or plate count agar, producingcircular to irregular-shaped, low convex, grayish colonies with wavymargins that are about 2-3 mm in diameter after aerobic incubation forabout 2-3 days at about 30° C. Colonies become white as cells sporulate.After about 48-72 hours incubation, ellipsoidal spores develop innon-swollen sporangia.

The Bacillus circulans isolate is a facultative anaerobe, gram-positivemotile rods, and is capable of growth at about 30° C. or less. Thestrain grows on nutrient or plate count agar producing irregular-shapededges. The colonies are about 2-5 mm in diameter after aerobic culturefor about 2-3 days at about 30° C. After about 48-72 hours ofincubation, ellipsoidal spores develop in non-swollen sporangia.

Screening of isolated Paenibacillus and Bacillus species for theproduction of bacteriocin activity is performed on nutrient agar oncultures seeded with different target bacteria of interest. Other teststrains are cultured under aerobic conditions at about 37° C. for about18-24 hours. Yersinia enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis arecultured at about 28° C. under aerobic conditions for about 18-24 hours.Tests for activity, against Campylobacter jejuni are performed on C.jejuni seeded Campylobacter agar containing about 5% lysed blood. Theuse of blood is well within the ordinary skill in the art and includefor example, sheep, horse, etc. Tests for activity against Campylobacterjejuni is carried out under microaerobic conditions of about 5% O₂,about 10% CO₂, and about 85% N₂ for about 24-48 hours at about 42° C.Approximately 0.2 ml of the antagonistic bacteria suspended in normalsaline is plated onto starch agar and incubated until spore formationwhich occurs after about 2-3 days of culture. Starch cubes of about 0.5cm³ are cut out and transferred onto brucella or Campylobacter agarsupplemented with lysed blood, about 10 micrograms/ml rifampicin, about2.4 U/ml of polymyxin, and seeded with about 10⁷ cells of Campylobacterjejuni. Plates are incubated at about 42° C. for approximately 24-48hours under microaerobic conditions. Activity is evaluated by measuringzones of growth inhibition.

Isolates found to be antagonistic are evaluated for bacteriocinproduction. Crude antimicrobial preparations (CAPs) are prepared byammonium sulfate precipitation only from cultures of antagonisticstrains grown in modified Kugler's broth supplemented with about 0.03%alanine, about 0.045% tryptophan, and about 20% glucose, at about 32° C.for about 40 hours under aerobic conditions. The cultures are thencentrifuged at about 2,500×g for about 10 minutes. Antagonistic peptidesare isolated from supernatant by a combination of ammonium sulfateprecipitation, CM-Sepharose, Superose, and Mono-Q-cation or anionexchange chromatography. Molecular weights of the peptides aredetermined by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. pIs of the peptides aredetermined by isoelectric focusing. Amino acid sequences are determinedby Edman degradation using, for example, a 491 cLC Automatic Sequencer(Applied Biosystems, Inc.).

For purposes of the present invention, the term “peptide” means acompound of at least two or more amino acids or amino acid analogs. Theamino acids or amino acid analogs may be linked by peptide bonds. Inanother embodiment, the amino acids may be linked by other bonds, e.g.,ester, ether, etc. Peptides can be in any structural configurationincluding linear, branched, or cyclic configurations. As used herein,the term “amino acids” refers to either natural or synthetic aminoacids, including both the D or L optical isomers, and amino acidanalogs.

Peptide derivatives and analogs of the present invention include, butare not limited to, those containing, as a primary amino acid sequence,all or part of the amino acid sequence of the peptide including alteredsequences in which functionally equivalent amino acid residues aresubstituted for residues within the sequence resulting in conservativeamino acid substitution.

For example, one or more amino acid residues within the sequence can besubstituted by another amino acid of a similar polarity, which acts as afunctional equivalent, resulting in a silent alteration. Substitutes foran amino acid within the sequence may be selected from other members ofthe class to which the amino acid belongs. For example, the nonpolar(hydrophobic) amino acids include alanine, leucine, isoleucine, valine,proline, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and methionine. Amino acidscontaining aromatic ring structures are phenylalanine, tryptophan, andtyrosine. The polar neutral amino acids include glycine, serine,threonine, cysteine, tyrosine, asparagine, and glutamine. The positivelycharged (basic) amino acids include arginine, lysine, and histidine. Thenegatively charged (acidic) amino acids include aspartic acid andglutamic acid. Such alterations will not be expected to significantlyaffect apparent molecular weight as determined by polyacrylamide gelelectrophoresis or isoelectric point. Non-conservative amino acidsubstitutions may also be introduced to substitute an amino acid with aparticularly preferable property. For example, Cys may be introduced ata potential site for disulfide bridges with another Cys. Pro may beintroduced because of its particularly planar structure.

The peptides of the present invention can be chemically synthesized.Synthetic peptides can be prepared using the well known techniques ofsolid phase, liquid phase, or peptide condensation techniques, or anycombination thereof, and can include natural and/or synthetic aminoacids. Amino acids used for peptide synthesis may be standard Boc(N^(α)-amino protected N^(α)-t-butyloxycarbonyl)amino acid resin withthe standard deprotecting, neutralization, coupling, and wash protocolsof the original solid phase procedure of Merrifield (J. Am. Chem. Soc,Volume 85, 2149-2154, 1963), or the base-labile N^(α)-amino protected9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) amino acid (Carpino and Han, J. Org.Chem., Volume 37, 3403-3409, 1972). In addition, the method of thepresent invention can be used with other N^(α)-protecting groups thatare familiar to those skilled in the art. Solid phase peptide synthesismay be accomplished by techniques within the ordinary skill in the art(See for example Stewart and Young, Solid Phase Synthesis, SecondEdition, Pierce Chemical Co., Rockford, Ill., 1984; Fields and Noble,Int. J. Pept. Protein Res., Volume 35, 161-214, 1990), or by usingautomated synthesizers.

In accordance with the present invention, the peptides and/or the novelbacterial strains can be administered in a therapeutically acceptablecarrier topically, parenterally, transmucosally, such as for example,orally, nasally, or rectally, or transdermally. The peptides of thepresent invention can be modified if necessary to increase the abilityof the peptide to cross cellular membranes such as by increasing thehydrophobic nature of the peptide, introducing the peptide as aconjugate to a carrier, such as a ligand to a specific receptor, etc.

The present invention also provides for conjugating a targeting moleculeto a peptide of the invention. Targeting molecules for purposes of thepresent invention mean a molecule which when administered in vivo,localizes to a desired location or locations. In various embodiments ofthe present invention, the targeting molecule can be a peptide orprotein, antibody, lectin, carbohydrate, or steroid. The targetingmolecule can be a peptide ligand of a receptor on the target cell or anantibody such as a monoclonal antibody. To facilitate crosslinking theantibody can be reduced to two heavy and light chain heterodimers, orthe F(ab′)₂ fragment can be reduced, and crosslinked to the peptide viathe reduced sulfhydryl.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide therapeuticcompositions. The compositions may be for oral, nasal, pulmonaryadministration, injection, etc. The therapeutic compositions includeeffective amounts of at least one bacteriocin of the present inventionand their derivatives and/or at least one novel strain to at leastreduce the levels of colonization by at least one target bacteriatogether with acceptable diluents, preservatives, solubilizers,emulsifiers, adjuvants, and/or carriers. Diluents can include bufferssuch as Tris-HCl, acetate, phosphate, for example; additives can includedetergents and solubilizing agents such as Tween 80, Polysorbate 80,etc., for example; antioxidants include, for example, ascorbic acid,sodium metabisulfite, etc.; preservatives can include, for example,Thimersol, benzyl alcohol, etc.; and bulking substances such as lactose,mannitol, etc.

The therapeutic composition of the present invention can be incorporatedinto particulate preparation of polymeric compounds such aspolyvinylpyrrolidone, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, etc., or intoliposomes. Liposomal encapsulation includes encapsulation by variouspolymers. A wide variety of polymeric carriers may be utilized tocontain and/or deliver one or more of the therapeutic agents discussedabove, including for example both biodegradable and nonbiodegradablecompositions. Representative examples of biodegradable compositionsinclude albumin, collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, starch, cellulose(methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose,carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose acetate phthalate, cellulose acetatesuccinate, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate), casein, dextrans,polysaccharides, fibrinogen, poly(D,L lactide), poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide), poly(glycolide), poly(hydroxybutyrate),poly(alkylcarbonate) and poly(orthoesters), polyesters,poly(hydroxyvaleric acid), polydioxanone, poly(ethylene terephthalate),poly(malic acid), poly(tartronic acid), polyanhydrides,polyphosphazenes, poly(amino acids) and their copolymers (see generally,Ilium, L., Davids, S. S. (eds.) “Polymers in Controlled Drug Delivery”Wright, Bristol, 1987; Arshady, J. Controlled Release 17:1-22, 1991;Pitt, Int. J. Phar. 59:173-196, 1990; Holland et al., J. ControlledRelease 4:155-0180, 1986).

Representative examples of nondegradable polymers includepoly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) (“EVA”) copolymers, silicone rubber,acrylic polymers (polyacrylic acid, polymethylacrylic acid,polymethylmethacrylate, polyalkylcynoacrylate), polyethylene,polypropylene, polyamides (nylon 6,6), polyurethane, poly(esterurethanes), poly(ether urethanes), poly(ester-urea), polyethers(poly(ethylene Oxide), poly(propylene oxide), Pluronics andpoly(tetramethylene glycol)), silicone rubbers and vinyl polymers suchas polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinyl acetatephthalate). Polymers may also be developed which are either anionic(e.g., alginate, carrageenin, carboxymethyl cellulose and poly(acrylicacid), or cationic (e.g., chitosan, poly-L-lysine, polyethylenimine, andpoly(allyl amine)) (see generally, Dunn et al., J. Applied Polymer Sci.50:353-365, 1993; Cascone et al., J. Materials Sci.: Materials inMedicine 5:770-774, 1994; Shiraishi et al., Biol. Pharm. Bull.16(11):1164-1168, 1993; Thacharodi and Rao, Int'l J. Pharm. 120:115-118,1995; Miyazaki et al., Int'l J. Pharm. 118:257-263, 1995).

Polymeric carriers can be fashioned in a variety of forms, with desiredrelease characteristics and/or with specific desired properties. Forexample, polymeric carriers may be fashioned to release a therapeuticagent upon exposure to a specific triggering event such as pH (see e.g.,Heller et al., “Chemically Self-Regulated Drug Delivery Systems,” inPolymers in Medicine III, Elsevier Science Publishers B. V., Amsterdam,1988, pp. 175-188; Kang et al., J. Applied Polymer Sci. 48:343-354,1993; Dong et al., J. Controlled Release 19:171-178, 1992; Dong andHoffman, J. Controlled Release 15:141-152, 1991; Kim et al., J.Controlled Release 28:143-152, 1994; Cornejo-Bravo et al., J. ControlledRelease 33:223-229, 1995; Wu and Lee, Pharm. Res. 10(10):1544-1547,1993; Serres et al., Pharm. Res. 13(2):196-201, 1996; Peppas,“Fundamentals of pH- and Temperature-Sensitive Delivery Systems,” inGurny et al. (eds.), Pulsatile Drug Delivery, WissenschaftlicheVerlagsgesellschaft mbH, Stuttgart, 1993, pp. 41-55; Doelker, “CelluloseDerivatives,” 1993, in Peppas and Langer (eds.), Biopolymers I,Springer-Verlag, Berlin). Representative examples of pH-sensitivepolymers include poly(acrylic acid) and its derivatives (including forexample, homopolymers such as poly(aminocarboxylic acid); poly(acrylicacid); poly(methyl acrylic acid), copolymers of such homopolymers, andcopolymers of poly(acrylic acid) and acrylmonomers such as thosediscussed above. Other pH sensitive polymers include polysaccharidessuch as cellulose acetate phthalate; hydroxypropylmethylcellulosephthalate; hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate; celluloseacetate trimellilate; and chitosan. Yet other pH sensitive polymersinclude any mixture of a pH sensitive polymer and a water solublepolymer.

Likewise, polymeric carriers, can be fashioned which are temperaturesensitive (see e.g., Chen et al., “Novel Hydrogels of aTemperature-Sensitive Pluronic Grafted to a Bioadhesive Polyacrylic AcidBackbone for Vaginal Drug Delivery,” in Proceed. Intern. Symp. Control.Rel. Bioact. Mater. 22:167-168, Controlled Release Society, Inc., 1995;Okano, “Molecular Design of Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogels for TemporalControlled Drug Delivery,” in Proceed. Intern. Symp. Control. Rel.Bioact. Mater. 22:111-112, Controlled Release Society, Inc., 1995;Johnston et al., Pharm. Res. 9(3):425-433, 1992; Tung, Int'l J. Pharm.107:85-90, 1994; Harsh and Gehrke, J. Controlled Release 17:175-186,1991; Bae et al., Pharm. Res. 8(4):531-537, 1991; Dinarvand andD'Emanuele, J. Controlled Release 36:221-227, 1995; Yu and Grainger,“Novel Thermos-sensitive Amphiphilic Gels: PolyN-isopropylacrylamide-co-sodium acrylate-co-n-N-alkylacrylamide NetworkSynthesis and Physicochemical Characterization,” Dept. of Chemical &Biological Sci., Oregon Graduate Institute of Science & Technology,Beaverton, Oreg., pp. 820-821; Zhou and Smid, “Physical Hydrogels ofAssociative Star Polymers,” Polymer Research Institute, Dept. ofChemistry, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State Univ. ofNew York, Syracuse, N.Y., pp. 822-823; Hoffman et al., “CharacterizingPore Sizes and Water “Structure” in Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogels,”Center for Bioengineering, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, Wash., p. 828;Yu and Grainger, “Thermo-sensitive Swelling Behavior in CrosslinkedN-isopropylacrylamide Networks: Cationic, Anionic and AmpholyticHydrogels,” Dept. of Chemical & Biological Sci., Oregon GraduateInstitute of Science & Technology, Beaverton, Oreg., pp. 829-830; Kim etal., Pharm. Res. 9(3):283-290, 1992; Bae et al., Pharm. Res.8(5):624-628, 1991; Kono et al., J. Controlled Release 30:69-75, 1994;Yoshida et al., J. Controlled Release 32:97-102, 1994; Okano et al., J.Controlled Release 36:125-133, 1995; Chun and Kim, J. Controlled Release38:39-47, 1996; D'Emanuele and Dinarvand, Int'l J. Pharm. 118:237-242,1995; Katono et al., J. Controlled Release 16:215-228, 1991; Hoffman,“Thermally Reversible Hydrogels Containing Biologically Active Species,”in Migliaresi et al. (eds.), Polymers in Medicine III, Elsevier SciencePublishers B. V., Amsterdam, 1988, pp. 161-167; Hoffman, “Applicationsof Thermally Reversible Polymers and Hydrogels in Therapeutics andDiagnostics,” in Third International Symposium on Recent Advances inDrug Delivery Systems, Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 24-27, 1987, pp.297-305; Gutowska et al., J. Controlled Release 22:95-104, 1992; Palasisand Gehrke, J. Controlled Release 18:1-12, 1992; Paavola et al., Pharm.Res. 12(12):1997-2002, 1995).

Representative examples of thermogelling polymers, and their gelatintemperature (LCST (.degree.C.)) include homopolymers such aspoly(N-methyl-N-n-propylacrylamide), 19.8; poly(N-n-propylacrylamide),21.5; poly(N-methyl-N-isopropylacrylamide), 22.3;poly(N-n-propylmethacrylamide), 28.0; poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), 30.9;poly(N, n-diethylacrylamide), 32.0; poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide),44.0; poly (N-cyclopropylacrylamide), 45.5;poly(N-ethylmethyacrylamide), 50.0; poly(N-methyl-N-ethylacrylamide),56.0; poly(N-cyclopropylmethacrylamide), 59.0; poly(N-ethylacrylamide),72.0. Moreover thermogelling polymers may be made by preparingcopolymers between (among) monomers of the above, or by combining suchhomopolymers with other water soluble polymers such as acrylmonomers(e.g., acrylic acid and derivatives thereof such as methylacrylic acid,acrylate and derivatives thereof such as butyl methacrylate, acrylamide,and N-n-butyl acrylamide). Other representative examples ofthermogelling polymers include cellulose ether derivatives such ashydroxypropyl cellulose, 41.degree.C.; methyl cellulose, 55.degree.C.;hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, 66.degree.C.; and ethylhydroxyethylcellulose, and Pluronics such as F-127, 10-15.degree.C.; L-122,19.degree.C.; L-92, 26.degree. C.; L-81, 20.degree.C.; and L-61,24.degree.C.

A wide variety of forms may be fashioned by the polymeric carriers ofthe present invention, including for example, rod-shaped devices,pellets, slabs, or capsules (see e.g., Goodell et al., Am. J. Hosp.Pharm. 43:1454-1461, 1986; Langer et al., “Controlled release ofmacromolecules from polymers”, in Biomedical Polymers, PolymericMaterials and Pharmaceuticals for Biomedical Use, Goldberg, E. P.,Nakagim, A. (eds.) Academic Press, pp. 113-137, 1980; Rhine et al., J.Pharm. Sci. 69:265-270, 1980; Brown et al., J. Pharm. Sci. 72:1181-1185,1983; and Bawa et al., J. Controlled Release 1:259-267, 1985).

Therapeutic agents may be linked by occlusion in the matrices of thepolymer, bound by covalent linkages, or encapsulated in microcapsules.Within certain preferred embodiments of the invention, therapeuticcompositions are provided in non-capsular formulations such asmicrospheres (ranging from nanometers to micrometers in size), pastes,threads of various size, films and sprays.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a therapeuticcomposition and animal feed. The therapeutic composition of the presentinvention can be encapsulated using a polymeric carrier as describedabove and then added to a feed by any known means of applying it to feedsuch as for example, by mechanical mixing, spraying, etc. Thetherapeutic composition includes, for example, an amount of at least onebacteriocin effective to at least reduce the levels of colonization byat least one target bacteria in an animal, such as for exampleapproximately 0.5 grams of bacteriocin(s)/100 grams, approximately 1.25grams of a polymeric carrier such as polyvinylpyrrolidone/100 grams, andabout 8.6% of a diluent such as water/100 grams mixed with any granularcomponent that is digest able, such as for example, milled maize grain;ground grains such as for example oats, wheat, buckwheat; ground fruitssuch as for example, pears, etc. The therapeutic composition is thenadded to any type of animal feed in amounts effective to at least reducethe levels of colonization of at least one target bacteria such as forexample in ratios of bacteriocin to feed of about 1:10 to about 1:100.For purposes of the present invention, examples of animal feed includegreen foder, silages, dried green fodder, roots, tubers, fleshy fruits,grains, seeds, brewer's grains, pomace, brewer's yeast, distillationresidues, milling byproducts, byproducts of the production of sugar,starch or oil production, and various food wastes. The product can beadded to the animal feedstuffs for cattle, poultry, rabbit, pig, orsheep rearing, etc. It can be used mixed with other feed additives forthese stock.

The following examples are intended only to further illustrate theinvention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention asdefined by the claims.

Example 1

Five novel antagonistic strains, Paenibacillus polymyxa strains 37 (NRRLB-30507), 114, 119 (NRRL B-30508), 592, and 602 (NRRL B-30509),producing bacteriocins were isolated from mucous surfaces of about 1.0grams of the cecal and crop of broilers which was suspended in about 10ml of sterile 0.85% w/v saline solution (normal saline) and heated atabout 80° C. for about 15 minutes. Bacillus circulans 1580 (NRRLB-30644) was isolated from soil as above. Approximately 0.10 ml of about1:50, and 1:2,500 suspensions was spread plated onto either plate countagar or Starch Agar. Plates were incubated at about 30° C. for about 24hours and about 72 hours under aerobic conditions. Colonies withdifferent morphology were streaked onto Starch agar. These cultures wereincubated under aerobic conditions for about 72 hours at about 30° C.

Strains 37, 114, 119, 592, and 602 were grown at about 30° C. for about24 hours on Starch Agar. They are facultative anaerobes, Gram-positivemotile rods capable of growth at about 30, 37, and 42° C. The organismsgrow on nutrient agar or plate count, agar producing circular toirregular-shaped, low convex, grayish colonies with relatively wavymargins that are about 2-3 mm in diameter after aerobic incubation forabout 2-3 days, at about 30° C. Colonies become white as cellssporulate. After about 48-72 hours incubation, ellipsoidal sporesdeveloped in non-swollen sporangia.

Bacillus circulans strain 1580 was grown at about 30° C. for about 24hours on Starch agar. It is Gram-positive, facultative anaerobe, motilerods, and capable of growth at 30° C. or less. The organism grows onnutrient agar or plate count, agar producing irregular-shaped, lowconvex, white colonies with very irregular edges. The colonies are about2-5 mm in diameter after aerobic culture for about 2-3 days at about 30°C. After about 48-72 hours incubation, ellipsoidal spores developed innon-swollen sporangia. Voges-Prbskauer reaction is positive for strains37, 114, 119, 592, and 602 but not for strain 1580. Citrate is notutilized, gelatin is hydrolyzed, nitrate is not reduced for all thestrains as determined with API 20E strips.

The results in the API 50CH galleries, when API CHB suspension medium isused are present below in Table 1. Table 2 (below) results indicate thatstrains 37, 114, 119, and 602 are most likely to be Paenibacilluspolymyxa, strain 592 as Bacillus pumilus and strain 1580 as Bacilluscirculans.

Target bacteria for assessing antagonistic activity of antagonisticisolates from strains 37, 114, 119, 592, and 602, included four isolatesof Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) isolated from broilers in Russia andstrain ATCC 11168, several species from the family ofEnterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain ATCC 9027,Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. Cultures of C. jejuniwere grown either on brucella agar or Campylobacter agar containingabout 5% partially lysed blood at about 42° C. for approximately 24-48hours under microaerobic conditions of about 5% O₂, about 10% CO₂, andabout 85% N₂. The other strains were cultured on nutrient agar at about37° C. or about 28° C. for Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosisfor about 18-24 hours under aerobic conditions. Antagonistic activity ofthe isolates against Campylobacter was evaluated. Approximately 0.2 mlof the suspensions in normal saline was plated onto starch agar andincubated at about 30° C. for about 2-3 days until spore formation.Starch agar cubes of about 0.5 cm³ were cut out and transferred ontobrucella agar or Campylobacter agar supplemented with about 5%-10%partially lysed blood, about 10 micrograms/ml rifampicin, and about 2.5u/ml of polymyxin and inoculated with approximately 10⁷ cells ofCampylobacter jejuni per plate. Plates were incubated at about 42° C.for approximately 24 to 48 hours under microaerobic conditions asdescribed above. Antagonistic activity was evaluated by measuring thesize of the diameter of the zones of C. jejuni inhibition.

Antagonistic activity to Campylobacter jejuni was evaluated using 365isolates. Out of these, 56 isolates exhibited antagonism to C. jejuni.The 15 most antagonistic isolates were used in tests against othermicroorganisms (Tables 3 and 4 below). Isolates 37, 114, 119, 592, and602 manifested the widest spectrum of antagonistic activity and differedfrom one another in their growth characteristics and ability to lyseerythrocytes. These 6 strains were identified as Bacillus spp.-likeorganisms according to system API 50CH and API 20E (Biomerieux, France).

TABLE 1 API 50 CH results when API CHB suspension medium is used.Strains API Score Bacillus Species 37 98 Paenibacillus polymyxa 114 99Paenibacillus polymyxa 119 98 Paenibacillus polymyxa 592 99.9 Bacilluspumilus 602 99.5 Paenibacillus polymyxa 1580 99.9 Bacillus circulans 2

TABLE 2 Characterization of Strains Carbohydrates 37 114 119 592 6021580 Glycerol † † † † † − Erythritol − − − − − − D-Arabinose − − − − − −L-Arabinose † † † † † Ribose † † † † † † D-Xylose † † † † † †/− L-Xylose− − − − − − Adonitol − − − − − − β-Methyl- † − † − † † xylosideGalactose † † † †/− †/− †/− D-Glucose † † † † † † D-Fructose † † † † † †D-Mannose † † † † † † L-Sorbose − − − − − − Rhamnose − − − − − −Dulcitol − − − − − − Inositol − − − − − − Mannitol † † † † † † Sorbitol− − − − − − a Methyl-D- − − − − − † mannoside a Methyl-D- † † † † † −glucoside N-Acetyl- − − − − − − glucosamine Amygdaline † †/− † † †/− †Arbutine † † † † † † Esculine † † † † † † Salicine † † † † † †Cellobiose † † † † † † Maltose † † † † † † Lactose † †/− † − † †Melibiose †/− † † − † † Saccharose † † † † † † Trehalose † † † † † †Inulin †/− − − − − † Melezitoze − − − − − − D-Raffinose † † † − † †Amidon † † † − † † Glycogene † † † − † † Xylitol − − − − − − βGentibiose− − − †/− †/− † D-Turanose − − − − † − D-Lyxose − − − − − − D-Tagatose −− − †/− − − D-Fucose − − − − − − L-Fucose − − − − − − D-Arabitol − − − −− − Gluconate − − − − − − 2-ceto- − − − − − − Gluconate 5-ceto- − − − −− − Gluconate

TABLE 3 Inhibitory activity of isolates against test strains ofCampylobacter jejuni. Source Diameter (mm) Antagonistic of of growthinhibition of C. jejuni Hemolytic Identification Strain 11168 B1 L4 F2KI Activity 37 broiler, 5 3 4 5 4 − crop 114 broiler, 6 5 5 5 5 −intestine 119 broiler, 4 3 5 5 6 − intestine 236 broiler, 2 2 3 3 4 +/−intestine 265 broiler, 2 2 2 4 6 + intestine 346 broiler, 3 5 3 3 6 +/−crop 358 broiler, 3 3 3 4 5 + crop 361 broiler, 3 3 3 2 4 + crop 362broiler, 4 4 4 3 5 + crop 397 broiler, 4 5 3 4 6 + intestine 442 quail,4 3 4 4 4 + intestine 462 quail, 3 5 4 4 5 + intestine 538 broiler, 4 55 4 5 + crop 592 broiler, 5 5 4 4 5 +/− crop 602 broiler, 6 5 5 5 6 −crop (+) = presence of activity; (+/−) = weak activity; (−) = noactivity

TABLE 4 Inhibitory activity against designated species ofmicroorganisms. Diameter (mm) of growth inhibition Indicating Strains 37114 119 236 265 346 361 397 442 462 538 592 602 S. enteritidis 4 1 3 9 00 0 0 2 0 0 0 4 6 S. enteritidis 204 1 2 7 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 5 S.enteritidis 237 1 2 9 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 4 S. choleraesuis 434/4 2 3 9 00 0 0 2 0 0 0 4 7 S. choleraesuis 320 2 3 9 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 6 S.typhimurium 383/60 1 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 S. gallinarum pullorum 0 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 E. coli 0157: H7Y61 2 3 10 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 5 E.coli 0157: H7131 1 2 9 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 5 E. coli EDL933 2 2 7 0 0 0 02 0 0 0 5 6 Y. enterocolitica 03 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 Y.enterocolitica 09 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 Citrobacter freundii 0 2 5 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 Klebsiella pneumoniae 2 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 Sh.dysenteriae 0 0 0 2 0 3 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 Staphylococcus aureus 6 5 0 3 0 53 5 0 0 0 3 1 Y. pseudotuberculosis 4 0 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 Y.pseudotuberculosis 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 14 Pseudomonas aeruginosa 33 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 ATCC9027 Proteus mirabilis 2 3 0 4 0 7 4 3 3 0 00 0 Morganella morganii 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 L. monocytogenes 9-723 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 L. monocytogenes A 3 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4

Example 2

Crude, antimicrobial preparations were extracted from cultures of 14different antagonistic strains. Antagonists were grown in about 250 mlof modified poor Kugler's broth medium (Kugler et al. Archives ofMicrobiology, Volume 153, 276-281, 1990; herein incorporated byreference) supplemented with about 0.03% alanine, about 0.045%tryptophan, and about 20% glucose, at about 32° C. for about 40 hoursunder aerobic conditions. The resulting cultures were centrifuged atapproximately 2,500×g for about 10 minutes, removing most of the viablecells. The decanted supernatant was mixed with about 80% saturatedammonium sulfate and incubated at about 4° C. for about 24 hours toprecipitate the bacteriocin compounds. Following centrifugation atapproximately 10,000×g for about 20 minutes, the sediment wasresuspended in approximately 1.5 ml of about 10 mM phosphate sodiumbuffer, pH about 7.0, and dialyzed overnight against approximately 2.5Liters of the same buffer. The solution was designated a crudeantimicrobial preparation (CAP). Each sample of the preparation wassterilized by passing through a 0.22 micron-pore filter (Millipore,Bedford, Mass., USDA).

Example 3

The spectrum of antimicrobial activity of the CAPs was determined usinga spot test. Approximately 1 ml of sterile crude antimicrobialpreparations (CAP), obtained as in Example 2 above, were diluted withapproximately 1 ml of phosphate-sodium buffer (pH about 7.0) andsterilized as above in Example 2. Approximately 10 microliters of eachsample were plated onto blood-supplemented Campylobacter agar orNutrient agar (MPA or Meta Peptone Agar) previously seeded with cells oftarget bacteria. Plates containing cultures of C. jejuni were grown atabout 42° C. under microaerobic conditions, Y. enterocolitica and Y.pseudotuberculosis were cultured aerobically at about 28° C., and otherbacterial strains were incubated aerobically at about 37° C. for about24 or 48 hours. Identification was based on inhibition areas produced bythe target bacteria. Activity of CAP was expressed in arbitrary units(AU) per one milliliter of the preparation at which a visible zone ofinhibition of the growth of culture appears (Henderson et al., Archivesof Biochemistry and Biophysics, Volume 295, 5-12, 1992; hereinincorporated by reference). All experiments were conducted in duplicate.

Tables 5 and 6 below show the antagonistic activity of the crudeantimicrobial preparations, prepared as described above in example 2,against strains of microorganisms. Table 5 is directed to activityagainst four strains of C. jejuni-ATCC 11168, F2, L4, and B1.Preparations from strains 37, 114, 119, 602, and 1580 were mosteffective. Table 6 is directed to activity against many strains ofbacteria. Crude antimicrobial preparations of isolates 37, 114, 119,592, and 602 were most effective against the target cultures. Thesepreparations inhibited the growth of all tested Gram-negative andGram-positive target bacteria except for Morganella morganii.

Table 7 (below) shows the activity of the most effective CAPs fromstrains 37, 602, and 1580 against a variety of bacterial strains. Again,these results show that CAPs from strains 37, 602, and 1580 inhibitedgrowth of all tested Gram-negative and Gram-positive target bacteriaexcept for Morganella morganii.

TABLE 5 Anti-Campylobacter jejuni activity of crude antimicrobialpreparations (CAPs). C. jejuni Activity of CAP (AU/ml) strains 37 114119 236 265 346 361 397 442 462 538 592 602 1580 ATCC 11168 12800 128006400 3200 1600 3200 800 800 800 1600 3200 3200 6400 12800 F-2 1280012800 6400 1600 1600 3200 800 400 400 1600 1600 6400 6400 12800 L-412800 12800 6400 3200 1600 800 400 400 800 400 1600 3200 6400 12800 B-112800 12800 6400 3200 1600 800 200 200 200 400 3200 6400 6400 12800

TABLE 6 Antibacterial activity of crude antimicrobial preparations(CAPs). Activity of CAPs by designated strains (dilution 1:8) (zone ofChallenged Bacterial inhibition diameter, mm) Strains 37 114 119 236 265346 361 397 442 462 538 592 602 S. enteritidis 4 20 20 20 12 14 25 — 24— 14 18 20 21 S. enteritidis 204 25 25 20 10 14 — 12  8 — — 21 25 27 S.enteritidis 237 25 25 20 10 14 — 12  8 — — 21 25 27 S. typhimurium 264/120 20 25 12 15 — 30  8  4 17 20 20 21 S.choleraesuis >50  >50  >50  >50  >50  >50  29 15 — 18 30 >50  >50  434/1S. gallinarum pullorum 25 25 21 10 20 — 18  7 — 18 21 22 21 E. coli0157:H7 904 20 20 20 — 18 — 24 24 14 19 20 20 20 E. coli EDL933 25 25 2515 18 — 35 — 28 —  8 14 21 Y. enterocolitica 03 30 30 30 15 20 —  3 20 —20 14 20 30 Y. enterocolitica 09 30 30 25 — 15 — 20 — 14 — 20 17 32 Y.enterocolitica 11 25 25 25 12 22 — 14 — 11 10 20 11 14 Staphylococcus 2727 28 20 20 18 32 10 14 20 30 20 14 epidermitidis 4 Staphylococcus 30 3030 20 20 15 50 30 >50  >50  30 21 16 aureus Citrobacter freundii 14 1422 — — — 12 — — — 18 14 18 Klebsiella pneumoniae 29 29 30 — 28 — 12 — —— 14 18 20 Y. pseudotuberculosis 28 28 28 — — — — — — — 10 23 21 914 SH.dysenteriae 28 28 32 28 20 — 24 14 — — 22 28 28 Pseudomonas 20 20 — — —— — — — — — 20 21 aeruginosa Proteus mirabilis 13 13 15 — — — — — — — 1110 12 Morganella morganii — — — — — — — — — — — — — L. monocytogenes 2424 30 — — — — — — — 21 25 23 9-72

TABLE 7 Activity of Bacillus isolates-produced CAPs as evaluated inspot-test. Activity of CAPs AU/ml. Test strains 37 602 1580 S.enteritidis 4 6,400 3,200 6,400 S. enteritidis 204 6,400 3,200 6,400 S.enteritidis 237 6,400 3,200 12,800 S. typhimurium 264/1 3,200 3,2006,400 S. choleraesuis 434/1 3,200 3,200 6,400 S. gallinarum pullorum 800400 1,600 E. coli O157:H7 904 12,800 3,200 6,400 E. coli EDL 933 12,0006,400 12,800 Y. enterocolitica 03 1,600 800 3,200 Y. enterocolitica 091,600 800 3,200 Y. enterocolitica 11 400 400 800 Staphylococcus 6,4006,400 12,800 epidermitidis 4 Staphylococcus aureus 3,200 3,200 3,200Citrobacter freundii 6,400 6,400 6,400 Klebsiella pneumoniae 3,200 1,6006,400 Y. pseudotuberculosis 400 — 800 914 Sh. dysenteriae 400 400 800Pseudomonas 800 800 800 aeruginosa Proteus mirabilis 400 — 800Morganella morganii — — 800 L. monocytogenes 9-72 3,200 3,200 6,400

Example 4

CAPs and bacteriocins were electrophoresed in about 15% agarose gelweight, about 1% SDS (9×12 cm) in Tri-glycine buffer. Afterelectrophoresis at about 100 mA for approximately 4 hours, gels werefixed with a solution containing approximately 15% ethanol andapproximately 1% acetic acid. The gels were then washed with distilledwater for approximately 4 hours. To determine molecular weights ofprotein fractions, the gel was stained with a solution containingapproximately 0.21% Coomassie Blue G-250, about 40% ethanol, and about7% acetic acid. Washed gels were tested against three target bacteria,C. jejuni ATCC 11168, E. coli 0157:H7 904, and S. enteritidis 204 by themethod of Bhunia et al. (Journal of Industrial Microbiology, Volume 2,319-322, 1987; herein incorporated by reference). The gels were placedin Petri dishes, covered with 5% blood-semi-solid Campylobacter agar(about 0.75%) or semi-solid MPA, and seeded with cells of the teststrains. Plates containing C. jejuni were incubated at about 42° C. forapproximately 48 hours under microaerobic conditions, E. coli O157:H7and S. enteriditidis at about 37° C. for approximately 24 hours.Assessment was based on visualization of zones of the inhibited growthof the test strains in the presence of bacteriocins. Activity of thepurified bacteriocins was evaluated (Table 8 and FIG. 1).

Isoelectrofocusing identified four distinct fractions which differed inisoelectric points (pI): CAP 37, 114, 119, and 592 each containedfractions with pI=about 4.8, about 7.3, about 9.2, and about 9.8. CAP602 contained fractions with pI=about 5.0, about 7.2, about 8.9, andabout 9.7. Antagonistic activity to C. jejuni was observed in thefraction with pI=about 4.8 in preparations 37, 114, 119, and 592; whilein preparation 602 this inhibition was observed in the fraction withpI=about 7.2 (FIG. 2, Table 8, below).

Specimens of bacteriocins were placed on IEF gels (pH approximately4.4-10.0) (Novex, San Diego, Calif.). The gels were run at about 100Vfor about 1 hour, 200V for about 2 hour, and 500V for about 30 minutesin XCM II™ Mini-Cell (Novex). Gels were washed with distilled water forabout 4 hours without fixation followed by staining with Coomassie BlueG-250 to determine isoelectric points (pI) of the bacteriocins and theirability to inhibit the growth of the test strains as presented in FIGS.2 and 3 and in Table 8.

TABLE 8 Antimicrobial activity of crude antimicrobial preparations (CAP)of bacteriocins evaluated by methods of a spot test, SDS- PAGE, andIsoelectrofocusing(IEF). Inhibiting Inhibiting Inhibiting activity inActivity Activity Spot Test measured by measured Bacteriocin Teststrains (AU/ml) SDS-PAGE by IEF 37 C. jejuni ATCC 12,800 M.W. 3.5 kDaband 1 11168 pI = 4.8 S. enteritidis 6,400 M.W. 3.5 kDa band 1 204 pI =4.8 E. coli O157:H7 12,800 M.W. 3.5 kDa band 1 904 pI = 4.8 602 C.jejuni ATCC 6,400 M.W. 3.5 kDa band 1 11168 pI = 7.2 S. enteritidis3,200 M.W. 3.5 kDa band 1 204 pI = 7.2 E. coli O157:H7 3,200 M.W. 3.5kDa band 1 904 pI = 7.2 1580 C. jejuni ATCC 12,800 M.W. 3.5 kDa band 111168 pI = 7.8 S. enteritidis 6,400 M.W. 3.5 kDa band 1 204 pI = 7.8 E.coli O157:H7 3,200 M.W. 3.5 kDa band 1 904 pI = 7.8

Example 5

Bacteriocins obtained as a crude antimicrobial preparation, as describedabove in Example 2, were purified by gel filtration and ion exchangechromatography. Crude antimicrobial preparation was injected into aSuperose 12HR 16/50 column (Pharmacia, 1.6×50 cm) equilibrated withabout 50 ml of phosphate-sodium buffer, pH approximately 5.9.Bacteriocins were eluted with the same buffer at a flow rate of about0.85 ml/min. Activity of the eluted fractions were tested against threestrains of Campylobacter jejuni L-4, B-1, and F-2. The concentration ofthe protein was measured by using the method described by Lowery et al.,(Journal of Biological Chemistry, Volume 193, 1951). Analysis offractions with higher antimicrobial activity was performed either on aMono Q column (Pharmacia, 1.5×20 cm) or on a CM-Sepharose column(Pharmacia, 2.5×20 cm). The Mono Q HR 5/5 column was equilibrated withabout 20 ml phosphate-sodium buffer (ph about 7.8) at a flow rate ofabout 5 ml/min. Bacteriocins were eluted with the same buffer in thepresence of NaCl at concentrations of about 0.1%, 0.15%, 0.3%, and 0.5%at a flow rate of approximately 1.5 ml/min. The CM-Sepharose column wasequilibrated with about 75 mM phosphate-sodium buffer (pH about 5.8) ata flow rate of about 5 ml/min. Bacteriocins were eluted with about 5 mMof buffer in the presence of NaCl at concentrations of from about 0.4%to about 1.2% at a flow rate of about 2 ml/min. Antimicrobial activityand protein concentrations for each fraction were determined.

Since fractions present in preparations 37, 114, 119, 592, and 602varied in their molecular weights, Superose 12HR gel-filtration was thefirst step of purification (FIG. 1). Fractions generating peaks atapproximately 280 nm were analyzed for their antagonistic activityagainst C. jejuni in a spot test (See Example 2 above), fractions of thefirst peak appeared to be most active. Since preparations 37, 114, 119,and 592 had an active fraction at pI=about 4.8, their purification wasperformed by Mono Q anion-exchange chromatography (FIG. 2) followed byelution of active fractions as a single peak at about 210 nm in thepresence of about 0.3M NaCl. Cation-exchange chromatography was appliedto purify CAP 602 because of the presence of an active peptide with apI=about 7.2 (cationic protein). After, gel filtration of the fractionof the first peak, preparation 602 was further purified by CMcation-exchange chromatography. The active fraction was eluted as asingle peak at about 280 nM in the presence of about 0.8 M NaCl. Puritywas confirmed by MonoQ and C chromatographic methods. Results frompurification of bacteriocin 37 are presented in Table 9. SDS-PAGEanalysis showed that the purified peptides had molecular weight ofapproximately 3.5 kDa and application of isoelectrofocusing establisheda pI=about 4.8 for preparations 37, 114, 119, 592, and pI=about 7.2 for602 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

The amino acid sequences of purified bacteriocins were determined byEdman degradation using a 491 cLC automatic sequencer (AppliedBiosystems, USA). The bacteriocins were hydrolyzed in about 6M HCl undera vacuum at approximately 110° C. for about 72 hours. Primary sequencesof bacteriocins 37, 602, and 1580 correspond to 30, 39, and 34 aminoacid-containing peptides, respectively. Molecular weights ofbacteriocins 37, 602, and 1580 were determined by mass spectrometryusing a Voyager-DERP (Perkin-Elmer, USA). The MALDI-TOF system, amatrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight system, wasused along with matrix, 2-cyano-hydroxycinnamic acid. The amino acidsequences are:

 602: ATYYGNGLYCNKQKHYTWVDWNKASREIGKIIVNGWVQH SEQ ID NO 2 1580:VNYGNGVSCSKTKCSVNWGHTHQAFRVTSGVASG SEQ ID NO 3   37:FVYGNGVTSILVQAQFLVNGQRRFFYTPDK SEQ ID NO 1Calculated molecular weights of the peptides were about 3,520 kDa forbacteriocin 37, about 3,750 kDa for bacteriocin 602, and about 3,680 kDafor bacteriocin 1580. Analysis by MALDI-TOF revealed the followingmolecular weights: about 3,214 kDa for bacteriocin 37, about 3,864 kDafor bacteriocin 602, and about 3,486 kDa for bacteriocin 1580.

TABLE 9 Biochemical purification of bacteriocin 37 Specific ProteinActivity Sample Volume (ml) (mg/ml AU/mg protein Purity % Culture 1501.5 17,066 0 Supernatant CAP 8.9 0.9 28,444 9.09 (centrifugation(NH₄)₂SO₄) Superose-12 Gel 4 0.3 51,200 80.5 Filtration Mono-Q anion-1.8 0.19 134,736 98.8 exchange chromatography

Example 6

The influence of enzymes, temperature, and pH on bacteriocin activitywas determined. About 10 ml of one of the following enzymes weretransferred into tubes containing about 20 ml of bacteriocins:beta-chymotrypsin-about 100 mg/ml, proteinase K-about 200 mg/ml,papain-about 60 mg/ml, lysozyme-about 750 mg/ml, and lipase-about 100mg/ml (all from Sigma-Aldrich Corp., St. Louis Mo.). After about a threehour incubation period at about 37° C., the mixture of bacteriocin andenzyme was analyzed for antimicrobial activity using the spot test as inExample 3. Untreated bacteriocins served as positive controls.

To study the thermostability of bacteriocins, about a 2 mg/ml sample wasboiled in a water bath for about 15 minutes, cooled, and assessed interms of their antimicrobial activity. Approximately 2 mg/ml ofbacteriocin was used to evaluate the effect of pH. About 2 millilitersof sterile solutions, about 10 mM NaOH or about 10 mM HCl were added tosamples to test pH from about 3 to about 10. Samples were incubated atabout 37° C. for about 2 hours and 24 hours, and at about 90° C. forabout 20 minutes. Samples were adjusted to pH about 7.2 by addition ofabout 4 mM sterile phosphate buffer and analyzed for their antimicrobialactivity using the spot test as described above in Example 3.

The bacteriocins lost their antimicrobial activity after being treatedwith beta-chymotrypsin, proteinase K, and papain, but retained it whentreated with lysozyme, lipase, or heating to about 90° C. (Table 10).They were stable at different values of pH ranging from about 3.0 toabout 9.0, but became inactive at about pH 10 (Table 11).

TABLE 10 Effect of enzymes and temperature on antimicrobial activity ofbacteriocins Treatment Activity* beta-chymotrypsin − proteinase K −Papain − lysozyme + lipase + 100° C., 15 minutes + *activity determinedby spot test, with C. jejuni ATCC 11168 as indicating strain. + presenceof activity − absence of activity after treatment with enzymes orexposure to temperature

TABLE 11 Effect of pH on activity of bacteriocin 37. Activity determinedby spot test with C. jejuni ATCC 11168 pH 20 min @ 90° C. 2 h @ 37° C.24 h @ 37° C. 3.0 + + + 5.0 + + + 6.2 + + + 7.0 + + + 8.4 + + +9.1 + + + 10.0 − − − + presence of activity − absence of activity

Example 7

Bacteriocin 602 was purified as described in Example 5. Purifiedbacteriocin 602 was added at a concentration of approximately 250 mg perkilogram of commercial poultry feed in polyvinylpyrrolidone as is knownin the art. Bout 100 grams of a therapeutic composition made up withmilled maize grain contains approximately 0.5 grams bacteriocin 602,approximately 1.25 grams of polyvinylpyrrolidone, and approximately 8.6%water. About 100 grams of this composition is added to about 2 kilogramsof poultry feed. 1 day-, six day- and 18 day-old chicks were placed ingroups in separate isolation units equipped with feeders, water, andfiltered air supply. The food and water were supplied ad libitum. For 1day-old chicks (Table 12), Group one chicks served as the control groupwhich received free access to diet without added bacteriocin. Thesechicks were challenged at day one of life with strains L4 and B1 of C.jejuni, as described above in Example 1. The strains were administeredby oral gavage at a concentration of approximately 2×10⁶ in a volume of0.2 ml. Five of the chicks were sacrificed at about 7 days afterchallenge and the remaining five were sacrificed at about 10 days afterchallenge. Group two chicks were challenged at day 1 of life with C.jejuni strains L4 and B1 as described above for Group one. The chickswere given free access to diet containing approximately 250 mg ofbacteriocin 602 per kilogram of food for three days beginning from the4^(th) day of life. Group two chicks were sacrificed about seven daysafter C. jejuni challenge. Group three chicks were challenged and fed asGroup two chicks and sacrificed 10 days after challenge. Results arepresented in Table 12.

TABLE 12 Therapeutic effects of bacteriocin 602 for experimentallyinduced C. jejuni infection in broilers. Time of Sacrifice Concentrationof after challenge C. jejuni gram/gram Protection Group Bird # in dayscecal content index in % One 1 7 6.63 2 7 6.18 3 7 6.15 4 7 5.87 5 76.21 6 10 9.00 7 10 8.68 8 10 8.95 9 10 9.34 10 10 8.99 Two 1 7 0.00100% 2 7 0.00 100% 3 7 6.60 0.94%  4 7 3.68 1.69%  5 7 3.15 1.97%  6 7 0100% 7 7 0 100% 8 7 0 100% 9 7 0 100% 10 7 0 100% Three 1 10 0 100% 2 105.82 1.54%  3 10 0 100% 4 10 0 100% 5 10 3.41 2.64%  6 10 0 100% 7 10 0100% 8 10 0 100% 9 10 0 100% 10 10 0 100% *Therapeutic diet prepared onthe basis of commercial food intended for chicks aged 1-10 days.

For 6 day-old chicks, the control groups received free access to dietwithout added bacteriocin. These chicks were challenged on day 2 of theexperiment with approximately 10⁶ CFU in about a 0.2 ml volume) ofstrains L-4, and B-1 of C. jejuni, as described in Example 1. The C.jejuni was administered by oral gavage. Chicks were sacrificed 4 days, 9days, 11 days, and 14 days post challenge. Experimental chicks, havingtwo groups, were given free access to diet with bacteriocin 602encapsulated in polyvinylpyrrolidone beginning from day 6 of life. Thesechicks were challenged on day 2 of the experiment as above for thecontrol chicks. Chicks were sacrificed at day 9 and 11 of life. Resultsare shown in Table 13 below.

TABLE 13 Treatment of experimental C. jejuni-associated infection in6-day old chicks with bacteriocin 602 added to feed. Concentration Timeof C. jejuni of C. jejuni challenge Age of per gram of Chicks per anddose in Duration of sacrificed cecal Group group CFU feeding days chicksmaterial Control 4 2^(nd) day — 4   8 × 10⁸ 10⁶ CFU 5 2^(nd) day — 9 1.8× 10⁸ 10⁶ CFU 5 2^(nd) Day — 11 1.02 × 10⁹  10⁶ CFU 5 2^(nd) Day — 148.2 × 10⁸ 10⁶ CFU Bacteriocin⁸ 9 2^(nd) Day 3 9 4 CHICKS = 0 602 in Feed10⁶ CFU 1 CHICK = 1 × 10¹ 1 CHICK = 1 × 10² 3 CHICKS = 1 × 10³ 8 2^(ND)Day 5 11 6 CHICKS = 0 10⁶ CFU 1 CHICK01 × 10¹ 1 CHICK = 1 × 10⁴ 9 2^(ND)Day 8 14 9 CHICKS = 0 10⁶ CFU ⁸net dose administered to chicks for 3-dayperiod = approximately 26.4 mg; 5-day = approximately 50.6 mg; 8-day =approximately 80.5 mg.

For 18-day old chicks, the control chicks received free access to dietwithout added bacteriocin. These chicks were challenged as above on day15 of the experiment by oral gavage with a dose of 10⁷ CFU C. jejunistrains L-4 and B-1 in approximately a volume of 0.2 ml. Chicks weresacrificed at day 24 of the experiment. Chicks receiving conventionaldiet including bacteriocin 602 as described above were given free accessto feed containing approximately 0.25 g bacteriocin 602 per kg of feedfor about five days beginning on about the 19^(th) day of life. Nettherapeutic dose is about 107.8 mg per chick. Chicks were sacrificed onabout day 24 of life. Results are shown in Table 14 below.

TABLE 14 Treatment of experimental C. jejuni-associated infection in18-day old chicks with bacteriocin 602 added to feed. Age and DoseConcentration of C. jejuni Age of (CFU) C. jejuni # of challengeSacrificed per gram of Group Chicks CFU Chicks cecal material Control 515^(th) day 24 7.84 × 10⁹ 10⁷ CFU Bacteriocin 10 15^(th) day 24 4 CHICKS= 0 602 10⁷ CFU 4 CHICKS = Treatment 1.2 × 10² 1 CHICK = 2 × 10⁷ 1 CHICK= 5.7 × 10⁸

Chicks were challenged at 1-day of life and Control chicks were givenfree access to food and water without added bacteriocin. Chicks werechallenged with approximately 10⁶ CFU of a mixture of strains L4 and B1C. jejuni by oral gavage the 1^(st) day of life. Control chicks weresacrificed at day 17 of life. In experimental group I, 1-day old chickswere challenged as control chicks, given free access to feed withapproximately 0.250 grams of bacteriocin 602 per kilogram of feedstarting at day 14 of life and sacrificed at about day 17 of life; andgroup II chicks were challenged as control chicks at day 1 of life andwere given free access to feed containing approximately 0.500 grams ofbacteriocin 602 per kilogram of feed at day 14 of life; and sacrificedat day 17 of life, results are shown below in Table 15.

TABLE 15 Treatment of experimental C. jejuni-associated infection inchicks with bacteriocin 602 added to feed. Age and dose Concentration ofof C. jejuni C. jejuni per gram # of Challenge of cecal material GroupChicks in CFU at Day 17 of life Control 10 1-day old  2 CHICKS = 4.0 ×10⁶ 10⁶ CFU  1 CHICK = 1.9 × 10⁷  7 CHICKS = 0.3 × 10⁹ Treated with Feed16 1-day old 16 CHICKS = 0 containing 0.250 g/1 10⁶ CFU kilogram FeedTreated with Feed 16 1-day old 16 CHICKS = 0 containing 0.500/1 10⁶ CFUkilogram Feed

The foregoing detailed description is for the purpose of illustration.Such detail is solely for that purpose and those skilled in the art canmake variations without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A therapeutic feed for animals comprising: (a) an isolatedbacteriocin produced by a Paenibacillus polymyxa strain NRRL B-30509 inamounts effective to at least reduce the levels of colonization of atleast one target bacteria, (b) a therapeutic carrier, and (c) an animalfeed.
 2. The therapeutic feed of claim 1 wherein said bacteriocin hasthe amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO
 2. 3. A therapeutic animal feedcomprising: (a) an isolated bacteriocin having the amino acid sequenceof SEQ ID NO 2, in amounts effective to at least reduce the levels ofcolonization by at least one target bacteria, (b) a therapeutic carrier,and (c) an animal feed.
 4. A therapeutic feed for animals comprising:(a) at least one isolated bacteriocin produced by a Paenibacilluspolymyxa strain NRRL B-30509 in amounts effective to at least reduce thelevels of colonization of at least one target bacteria, (b) atherapeutic carrier, and (c) an animal feed.